Makari waved her hand and Marlee and I both turned to her. She waited until she had our attention before she spoke. I frowned, barely catching most of it because she was slurring just a little. Marlee signed what she said to make sure I understood.
“Men are players until they cross paths with the master of games and can no longer compete.”
I laughed and shrugged.“True, but that doesn’t always work.”
“I’ll make it work.”
Makari obviously agreed because she did a little dance and high-fived Marlee, almost making contact with the side of my head. Thankfully I ducked and leaned back in time for a near miss.
“Okay, let me go set this up.”
Marlee struggled to get up, failing twice before I shoved her in the ass to help on the third. Once she was somewhat steady on her feet, she walked to the kitchen and thrust her phone into Ryland’s face, then Omiri’s.
Her back was to us, so I couldn’t see what she was saying. Neither of them were impressed, which made me and Makari look at each other and fall out laughing.
She came back and flopped into the spot next to me looking defeated.“What happened?”
“Your man…”she signed, then pointed at me.“And your man…”She pointed at Makari.“Are haters. They don’t want me to be great.”
“Don’t worry. We want you to be great so we’ll make it happen,”I signed.
Her drunk ass threw her arms around my neck, damn near cutting off my oxygen. A few minutes later, Omiri and Ryland stood over us and Omiri was pulling Makari to her feet. After a few kisses he was in her ear and she smiled, nodding and turning to us.
“We’re leaving. Early flight.”
Omiri and Ryland discussed us flying back with them since they’d chartered a private jet but Ryland had an appointment with a law firm here handling the paperwork for his father to sign over his parental rights. He hadn’t planned on being there but wanted to be in town just in case the exchange didn’t go as planned.
We all got up and said our goodbyes. Makari and I made plans for next week. She invited me to some lunch she was having to introduce me to the two wives on the team she spent the most time with. She also made Marlee promise to come visit soon and the two of them exchanged numbers before she and Omiri left. After I locked up, I told Ryland I was going to kick it with Marlee for a while so he headed to the bedroom while I got cozy on one end of the sofa with Marlee on the opposite side.
“I’m jealous you have friends already.”Marlee playfully kicked my shin pouting.
“That just means you need to hurry up and come to Crescent Falls so we can have friends.”
“Your hating ass man is not trying to let my love shine.”She rolled her eyes.
I grinned.“Just come visit. We’ll pull up on your boy. We don’t need Ryland for that.”
“Remember you said that when I book my flight and show up with my fuck me braids freshly done.”
I laughed because those fuck me braids were Marlee’s go-to. She said she didn’t have time to be sweating out her silk press so when a wild time was expected, so the box braids were freshly done.
“That man has no clue what he’s about to experience. I’m almost afraid for him.”
“And you should be. I told you I’m trying to upgrade my life.”She smiled lazily.
“You’re not going anywhere.”
“Bitch I literally just hired someone when you texted me talking about what’s after level ten. I knew your ass wasn’t coming back. We’re locked in. You’re not leaving me. I can have Marlee Gardens Zen bi-coastal. I know your man has some rich ass friends who need my magic touch.”
“You would move?”
“Hell yeah. I was born and raised here. Don’t know nothing about this damn city except for the three mile radius around where I live. It might be time for something new, and if that new just happens to come with a fine ass, chocolate wide receiver who looks like a guaranteed dick coma, then I’m catching flights.”
“Oh so it’s not about me?”I cheesed.
“Did you not just say fuck our friendship and move your ass to Crescent Falls for a man?”She arched a brow and I rolled my eyes.
“Weren’t you the one who told me I should?”